


Laws Are Always Useful To Those With Possessions And Harmful To Those Who Have Nothing

by wordyanansi



Series: The Abyss Gazes Back [2]
Category: Psycho-Pass, The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 19:31:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5260880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordyanansi/pseuds/wordyanansi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke's psycho-pass gets cloudy, and Bellamy can't help but wonder if he's part of the problem instead of part of the solution. </p><p>Part Two of "When You Gaze Long Into The Abyss"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laws Are Always Useful To Those With Possessions And Harmful To Those Who Have Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "The Social Contract" by Jean-Jacques Rosseau (another philosopher mentioned by Tomomi Masaoka in Psycho-Pass).
> 
> You can find the first instalment of this AU [HERE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4402769) which includes a little helpful glossary for those not familiar with Psycho Pass. But you should watch Psycho Pass because it's amazing.

When Clarke’s psycho-pass darkens a month after they started dating, and Bellamy blames himself. He’s pretty sure that Jake’s going to as well, when he finds out, and any kind of fatherly blessing will be revoked. He doesn’t think that it’s going to change Clarke’s opinion of him; she’s the most stubborn person he’s ever met. But it makes him think about himself differently. And their relationship. His hue has gone down twenty points since they started dating.

 

They’re not working together at the moment, and she’s working a pretty messed up case about a surgeon who’s harvesting organs for some nefarious purpose, while he’s on a pharmacy robbery. Kane doesn’t love that they’re dating, but he can’t deny their efficacy as a team. But Clarke’s always been good at the weird ones, so she’s been drafted to work with Inspector Miller on this one. Meanwhile, he’s working with Miller’s usual partner, Harper. Bellamy likes both Miller and Harper, but he doesn’t love that Clarke’s psycho-pass is going up, so he doesn’t the thing he normally does when he needs to talk something out: find Raven.

 

“I think I need to break up with Clarke,” Bellamy tells her as he walks into her lab. She spins around faster than she’s ever seen her move and gives him the most vicious scowl he’s ever seen in his life. If looks could kill… okay, so maybe he does believe that she’s a latent criminal.

“Don’t be a fucking idiot,” Raven tells him, her voice low and dangerous. Bellamy sighs.

“Her hue is clouding. Jake warned me about this,” Bellamy explains. “Mine is lighter and hers is darker. So, this relationship isn’t the best thing for her.” Raven rolls her eyes.

“Jesus Christ, Blake. You’re such a fucking idiot. She’s working a seriously fucked up case with organ harvesting - of course her hue is going to get a little cloudy. Because she’s going to think about it and try and understand shit. It’ll clear up again, it always does,” Raven tries to reassure him. Of course, her version of reassuring is kind of the same as her version of a scathing attack.

“Do you think she’ll still love me if I turn her into a latent criminal?” Bellamy asks. Raven snorts.

“People can’t turn people into latent criminals, that’s not how it works,” Raven says, quiet, and just a little fragile, turning back to her screen. Bellamy thinks about this for a moment. About his mother. About Mel, from his first case with Clarke.

“No man is an island,” he says, eventually, because he’s not sure what else to say. “We all effect each other all the time.” Raven looks over her shoulder at him, considering.

“You never asked what my story was,” she comments. “When I became latent. Why.” Bellamy twists his mouth into a wry half smile.

“Thought it might be a sore spot, or rude or something,” he says, because he does want to know but he doesn’t want to ask. Raven turns back to the computer screen.

“Just pretend there’s a little girl, who is born before psycho-pass became a thing, to a woman who was incarcerated, sorry, given “mandatory therapy”, immediately. Picture the things that might have happened to a little girl whose mother would sell anything, including herself. Pretend this little girl ends up in institutions and a school where everyone is convinced she’s a latent criminal, that it’s somehow genetic or catching. She ends up isolated, focused on problems and solutions she can solve. Picture her falling in love and getting her heart broken, hard,” Raven says, slightly absent. “They tell you that you’re in charge of your psycho-pass in therapy; in the institutions. Really drum it in. You can’t control the actions of others, but you can control your thoughts and feelings and reactions.”

“Bullshit,” Bellamy interjects. “It’s just social deviant labelling theory, and it’s bullshit. You tell people they’re something, and treat them that way, and then punish them for the box you put them in. There’s no… compassion.” Raven scoffs.

“And you’re sure you’re not a latent criminal, Blake?” Raven asks. “That’s some pretty liberal thinking for an Inspector.” He’d roll his eyes again but he’s a grown ass man and probably should aim to do that less.

“Sometimes I’m not sure the SYBIL system is... ,” he begins, but he doesn’t finish, doesn’t quite know how. Raven spins around on her chair, considering him for a moment.

“Be careful, Bellamy,” Raven warns him. “Don’t say that shit out loud where there’s surveillance.” He swallows, because she’s right and he’s going to far. And if anyone should have a dark hue, it should be his twisted brain, not Clarke. He gives Raven a nod and leaves the lab. He’s not sure what else to do, but the conversation weighs heavily.

 

Bellamy spends the next hour with the newest Enforcer, Monroe. It blows his mind that she’s an unregistered musician. That’s her crime. Making music. He understands the why and the how, of course. He watched Lincoln jump through hoops to prove his psycho-pass was low enough, and his creativity wasn’t dangerous or seditious. It’s about keeping society safe, or at least, that was the party line. And, to be honest, this isn’t Monroe’s first rodeo as an Enforcer. But she’s still having trouble understanding the difference between ‘WDCPSB protocol’ and ‘Bellamy and Clarke protocol’. It’s an adjustment, and she’s trying, but she’s been a well trained dog, so to speak. He feels like Monroe’s beginning to get it though, the thinking around why they don’t shoot the victims if they can avoid it. But Jake finds him, and the second Bellamy makes eye contact, he knows that he knows.

“Monroe, I think we’ll talk about this more later,” Bellamy says, eyes locked on Jake. She glares at Jake for a moment. Enforcers do not challenge Inspectors. But Division Six, the Clarke and Bellamy Division, runs a little a differently. She leaves, and Jake doesn’t say anything until the door closes behind her.

“Her psycho-pass is in the late sixties,” Jake says, almost idly. “It used to sit around the forties.” Bellamy swallows thickly and nods.

“I’m aware,” he replies. He’s pretty sure he’s never going to get used to the weird relationship he has with Jake now. That mix of something bordering on camaraderie, the Inspector/Enforcer relationship, and, of course, the ‘I’m dating your daughter’ thing. It’s probably the most complicated thing he’s ever been involved in.

“I told you before it started that this might happen. Inspectors dating isn’t always a good thing,” Jake says, slow. “How are you doing?” Bellamy winces.

“I’m clear. Mid twenties,” he admits. Jake nods, considering.

“She’s on a messed up case. And she’s never figured out that she’s not meant to try and get in the criminal’s head,” Jake offers. Bellamy wishes it would console him, but it doesn’t.

“But I’m better and she’s worse,” he elaborates. “What if it’s good for me and bad for her?” Jake huffs a laugh.

“Clarke will kick your ass if you try and break up with her over this. She’s going to love you anyway,” Jakes tells him. “And you break her heart, I break you. I’m a latent criminal. Don’t think I won’t.” Bellamy presses his lips together, amused for a moment. He’s pretty sure Jake could break him, but he knows Jake’s story. Old cop, new system. He’d seen too much, thought too much, and the new world order didn’t include him. He probably wouldn’t actually break him.

“Thanks for the support,” he says dryly.

“Her killer is a surgeon. Or used to be. Like her mother,” Jake says, half turned to leave. “She’s not going to want to talk about it. But it’ll be eating at her.” Clarke refuses to talk about her mother for the most part, and Bellamy knows they aren’t ready to share the full extent of their tragic backstories just yet. It’s still too new, but the inside information is appreciated. Jake leaves before Bellamy replies.

  
  


Monty and Finn find him at his desk doing paperwork. Harper is out with Monroe and Jake, following down a lead, and Bellamy’s just documenting the move. It’s not his favourite part of the job, but he really doesn’t have his head in the game today. And he’s not going to get himself killed over a minor distraction.

“You need to talk to her,” Finn tells him. “She’s not okay.” Bellamy tries really hard not to glare at Finn. It’s not that he’s jealous about the past, but there’s just something about Finn that irks him.

“Murphy and Roma say she’s strung tight,” Monty adds. “I’m worried about her. We all are.” Bellamy wants to tell them to go shove it and mind their own business. But it’s Monty, and you can’t be mean to Monty. It’s like kicking a puppy.

“I know. I will,” he promises. “Now can I get back to work. And can you two stop gossiping about my love life and get back to your own work.” They return to their desks, but they don’t exactly hurry. Maybe Kane has a point about the way things are meant to be.

  
  


Clarke beats him home, and she’s doing her version of cooking dinner. Which is basically pouring hot water on ramen. He loves her. He loves that she can’t cook, that she wears stupidly chunky socks at home because her feet are perpetually cold. And he really loves that she’s not wearing pants, just an oversized t-shirt, one of his, from his training in CAPSB academy. Just loves her. And then the inevitable wave of guilt, because he’s darkening her hue. She notices him, and smiles widely.

“Hey Bell,” she greets him. “I made dinner!” Bellamy snorts.

“You boiled a kettle,” he retorts. He grew up fending for himself and Octavia, so he’s always a little mortified at her lack of cooking skills. She just says she always had better things to do than learn how to cook. She’s probably right.

“Love the gratitude,” she replies, handing him his bowl, and he leans down to kiss her. She hums happily, pressing up on her toes to kiss him back. It’s not like he didn’t know he was stupid in love with her, but he feels slightly ill now, as though he’s realising it just as he’s losing her. She tilts her head, considering him for a moment.

“So are we pretending nothing is wrong or are you going to have an actual conversation?” Clarke asks as they sit down to eat. He’s not entirely sure how to respond to this. The small happiness that she knows him so well, the support she’s offering, the fact that he hates what he’s about to say.

“I’m worried about you,” he says to his bowl. “I’m worried that I’m not helping you with your psycho pass.” Bellamy keeps staring at his bowl. He can’t even bring himself to take a mouthful. Clarke is silent, and it’s too hard to look up at her. He wishes he knew what she was thinking.

“My psycho pass is nothing to do with you,” Clarke says after a moment. Her voice is tight and tired, and he looks up at her, because it’s not the emotion he was expecting. She just looks so… weary.

“It is, actually,” Bellamy says quietly. “You know that it’s not a separate issue.” It’s a holistic measuring system, it’s not like it only reads hue in one area of your life, and they both know it. Clarke sighs and looks at her ramen, and then back at Bellamy, with steel in her blue grey eyes.

“I have something to lose,” she admits, and suddenly her face is an open book. “I have something to lose and… and I’ve never been good at keeping the important things.” She’s looking away from him again, staring into the corner of the dining alcove. Bellamy feels a lump forming in his throat.

“You’re pretty much stuck with me, you realise?” he asks after a moment. “O’s already planning the wedding.” Clarke shakes her head.

“It’s not about you. It’s about me,” she attempts to explain, and he gets it, he does. But he doesn’t know how to make this one better, and he’s not sure he can. “I’m working this twisted as fuck case and we keep ending up almost in the line of fire. One of the Enforcers nearly got taken today. And before it wasn’t… it didn’t matter if I died or my hue darkened. And now it does.” Bellamy nods, takes a deep breath through his nose, and scent of ramen clouds him for a moment. Clarke chews her lip. “I just, I don’t know how you do it. You were almost first through the door your first day here. And you’ve always had Octavia to worry about. It would matter if you died. And you still…” she trails off. Bellamy offers a slight smile.

“I still take dumb risks to get the job done,” he finishes for her and she nods. He’s not sure what to say or what not to say. But he knows what she needs right now isn’t someone patting her on the head and telling her she’s going to be fine.

“Everyone does it differently. It’s not about keeping them safe for me. It’s… I honour them with it. So they can be proud of me,” he tells her, it’s awkward, and doesn’t feel like the whole truth, but he’s not always good at putting feelings into words. She’s chewing her lip again.

“I’m scared of losing you. It’s… good, what we have. But… well, you know,” Clarke says, and he does know. He knows she has lost everyone that has been important to her, and now he’s here in the same high risk job she’s in, and she’s scared. Scared he’ll die, or she will. Scared his hue will cloud and he’ll go latent, or she will. Scared that there’s a reason it’s frowned on for Inspectors to date. And he doesn’t have any answers for her, except:

“It’s worth the risk,” he says quietly, but he’s surprised by how fiercely he says it too. “Whatever happens, this bit is worth it.” Clarke’s eyes widen for a moment, looking at him. And then she smiles.

“Yeah,” Clarke agrees. “It’s worth the risk.”

  
  


It’s habit to scan yourself regularly, when you go to sleep, when you wake up. And, of course, a thousand times a day but the scanners in the streets, shops, and businesses. But that night, Clarke scans at 55, and he’s at 27. She tucks herself into his side, constantly cold and always searching for his body heat. She presses her lips against his chest.

“I love you,” she whispers. “Thanks for being you.” His arm tightens around her, and he drops a kiss on her crown, and he inhales her scent. He loves her, and she loves him, and she’s dropped ten points after one conversation.

“I love you too,” he whispers back. Maybe he’s the right person to be with her after all.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> And you can find me [here](http://wordy-anansi.tumblr.com) on tumblr.


End file.
